Mike Parsons
with Jeremy Westcott
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light (Matt 17:2).
The Greek word ‘metamorphoó’ (the same root from which we get the English word ‘metamorphosis’), is translated ‘transfigured’ in this passage and ‘transformed’ in Romans 12:2 (‘but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’).
When Jesus was on the mount of transfiguration he was representing mankind. He was showing people what it would be like if they were fully able to reflect God’s glory through their lives. They would literally be shining. As we are fully transformed into the image of Jesus and mature into becoming joint heirs with Him, we will begin to shine as He did when He was transfigured/transformed. Something of God’s glory will be seen in us.
Our inheritance
And as joint heirs, God wants us to have our inheritance, which is to do the works of Jesus. Those include all kinds of miracles, healings, and control over nature. It is not surprising that the enemy wants to rob us of our inheritance; but Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus said we were to do greater works than He did. He went back into the realms of heaven to open up heaven for us so that we would do even greater works of authority and power and occupy greater spiritual authority.
Our inheritance is also to be whole, complete, without blame, reproach, sin, transgression or iniquity. The Hebrew word means ‘nothing missing, nothing broken’: nothing missing of what God intends us to have; nothing of His provision that we cannot use because it is broken or damaged; so that so that we are in that place of peace.
He intends us to have (and demonstrate) a life of wholeness and prosperity, excelling to the highest level – spirit, soul and body.
And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) (1 Thess 5:23 AMP)
That word translated ‘coming’ is parousia, which really means ‘presence’. It is one of those translations which has succeeded in reducing the level of expectation (and faith) of too many believers. Since Jesus is with us now, we can expect our spirit, soul and body to be sound, complete and blameless in His presence!
Staking a claim
Have you ever seen one of those old gold rush movies, where the prospectors would ‘stake a claim’ by driving a physical stake into the ground? Strongholds give legal rights to the enemy who has staked a claim on your inheritance. Any fractures in our souls have given an opportunity for the enemy to plant a stake, giving him a legal right to stop God’s inheritance in us being fulfilled.
The enemy is a legalist, and will take advantage of laws such as the law of sowing and reaping and the law of sin and death, unless we give him no ground. We have to deal with anything in us that has given him legal rights. We do that through repentance, applying the finished work of the cross and the blood of Jesus to all sin, transgression and iniquity found in us.
The kingdom of God is within you
The Kingdom of God is a heavenly realm (around us) that is also mirrored within us.
For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you] (Luke 17:21 AMP).
Both within us and around us in the spiritual realm, there is conflict, a battle for control. Whose kingdom rules? We are on the offensive in the spiritual warfare which takes place (both in us and in the kingdom of heaven). Wherever the enemy has established his influence, we contend for God’s kingdom to be manifested on earth as it is in heaven. He does not want God’s kingdom manifested, but his own. His intention was always to rule, and when he realised that God’s plan was for mankind to rule over creation, he rebelled. Now he seeks to manipulate circumstances and do whatever he can to prevent us from fulfilling our God-given destiny.
Our struggle is with the things that go on in the heavenly places, not against people (see Eph 6:12). What we struggle with must be dealt with in heavenly places, not in this physical realm. But we are not alone, and angels are in that spiritual realm to operate on our behalf.
Blocking the gates
We have gates in our spirit, soul and body to allow God’s flow through us and around us. They can be blocked if we allow enemy strongholds to persist, hindering the manifestation of God’s glory. Strongholds empower spiritual forces (in the kingdom of God realm in the heavens) to rob us of spiritual authority.
If we do not realise that we are surrounded by a spiritual realm, we can wander around thinking that this is just what life is like. But because the kingdom is within us, whatever happens on the inside of us is reflected in what goes on in the realms of heaven and whatever goes on in the realms of heaven is reflected in our lives. If we continue to allow strongholds to continue functioning, we are also allowing them to affect the atmosphere around us.
Deny the enemy access
The history of our past generations is stored within us and can affect us today. Our genetic record is 23 + 23 chromosomes. God wants to deny the enemy access by re-writing the record that allows him to occupy strongholds in our souls, and in our hearts.
Put me on trial
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way (Psalm 139:23-4).
In a trial, witnesses are called and evidence is presented. Generational and genetic iniquity may be the witnesses, and our present struggles the evidence of the areas we need to deal with. We can ask God to show us all this.
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:4-5).
We have legal authority and power, weapons that can destroy those strongholds.
Related articles by Freedom ARC
Other resources from Freedom ARC
- Transformation 20-part audio series with slides (this post is based on extracts from Mike’s notes for session 14).
- Preparing For Destiny (audio series and blog series).
- Freedom Apostolic Resources website.
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Sons of Issachar 